Gas Boiler Guide
UPDATE: The UK Government recently announced plans to introduce a boiler scrappage scheme in the Pre-Budget Report. The rebate will apply to older inefficient working 'G' Rated boilers and is expected to be introduced in early 2010. More information about the scrappage scheme can be found at our sister site Boiler Guide on their Boiler Scrappage Scheme page.
Gas boilers may allow significant savings, possibly up to £250 per annum according to some estimates, to be made on the costs of domestic heating and hot water when compared to other fuels such as oil, coal or LPG ("Liquid Petroleum Gas"). Indeed high efficiency "condensing" gas boilers which employ an additional heat exchanger to make use of the extra heat generated when exhaust gas turns to liquid may convert as much as 90% of the fuel they consume into useful heat. Condensing gas boilers also produce considerably less carbon dioxide or CO2 than ordinary gas boilers as well as reducing the amount of heat that is lost from the flue.
Gas boilers can provide immediate hot water and controllable heating for your home or business premises without the need to store or order fuel. Natural gas is of course piped directly into your home and also helps to reduce your "carbon footprint". Domestic oil and gas boilers are responsible for 15% or more of the CO2 released into the atmosphere in the United Kingdom each year and Building Regulations stipulate that any newly installed or replacement gas boilers should now be of the condensing type. Gas boilers of this type do require a drain of some kind but liquid or "condensate" is only produced at a rate of approximately 1 litre per hour. The condensate is very mildly acidic and as such can be carried away by an ordinary plastic overflow pipe.